Brewer's Bay or Cane Garden Bay...

[wcf]

If you have been to either one, please let me know your thoughts. We are lookiing for great snorkeling and a beach that has enought shade and water that is "safe" for young toddlers. Also, would like some ammenities, etc.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. Bill

[Pyrate13]

You'll find snorkeling to be much better at Brewer's, particularly toward the west, but far fewer "amenities." There is basically only Nichol's Beach Bar and restaurant (good food and cold drinks) and some public restrooms (not the greatest) near the camping area.

CGB has many bars and resturants as well as gift shops but not much in the way of snorkeling unless you go to the far west of the beach.

Both are fine for kids but CGB has lots of boat traffic so watch for dingies coming and going especially in the dock areas, they are not always driven in the safest manner by some. Boats in Brewers are rare.

[Barry H]

Brewers Bay has always been my favourite. We have been there three times including the end of February on the Sea Princess. Taxi to Brewers Bay is $6pp each way and the driver will make arrangements to pick you up at a specific time to return you to the ship.

 

The taxi drivers on Tortola are punctual and very honest. Last month one of our group left his swim pouch with his ship card and $60 in the taxi. We went to the taxi dispatch center but couldn't get a hold of the driver, Edwon, since he had his cell phone off. Our friend managed to get back on board and get a new card issued. After we sailed there was a message from the Purser's Desk. The pouch and money had been returned to the ship!

[CaliforniaAC]

When we went to Tortola, we went to Cane Garden Bay.

 

This is the only beach we have been to where we were extremely dissapointed.

 

It smelled. It smelled very very bad. The odor of sewage waifted through the air. We stayed anyway. There was only two other families there, so we were basically alone. We went in the water one time. It smelled. I would not put my face in the water. When we got out we were coated with a very thin film. We smelled.

 

When we got back to the ship, I washed the swimsuits in Woolite and rinsed them in Downey. It took two trys to get the smell out.

 

At the time there was a thread going about how clean the water was/was not off of CGB. We decided to go with those who said the water was fine. As it turned out, the ones who said the sailboats that anchor off CGB empty their holding tanks into the bay were correct.

 

When we go to Tortola next February, we are going to the Baths in Virgin Gorda.